Do Not Disturb the Centaur
by LadyAlambiel
Summary: I just smiled serenely, "Let sleeping Centaurs lie."


Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't...

Summary: I just smiled serenely, "Let sleeping Centaurs lie."

A/N: A oneshot requested by Miss Melly Wilkes. Hope you like it. This is set in my A Light in the Darkness universe, and is best understood if you've already read my main stories. Some spoilers for A Light in the Darkness: Concealed and Virtute et Armis.

**Do Not Disturb the Centaur...**

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I shook my head as I noticed Oreius attempting to stifle another yawn (it was only the fifteenth one this hour). That Kentauri... "You didn't actually have to come with me."

He angled his walk until he was right beside me before he bothered to answer, "I am not allowing you to wander across Narnia by yourself...especially considering what happened the last time you went somewhere without me to keep you out of trouble."

I rolled my eyes, "If that was your not-so-subtle reference to what happened this past solstice, Kentauri, none of that was my fault. I wasn't even their original target...for once. And, if you want to be accurate, in reality I haven't been the one getting in trouble recently. That was you since you let an Ogre hit you with his club." A knot suddenly tied itself in the pit of my stomach and another appeared in my throat as I remembered he'd shaken hands with death before Lucy's cordial pulled him back. It had only been three weeks ago (as of tomorrow, counting from the time the cordial revived him, or as of yesterday counting from actual Ogre bashing), that's why it still bothered me so much, I'm sure...

Fortunately, Oreius didn't notice my sudden inability to swallow as he shook his head. "It is not the same." He yawned again. And that was number sixteen...

I gave him an arch look, "When you start sleepwalking, I'm not waking you up until after you've run into a tree."

He chuckled, "I am not going to sleepwalk, Alambiel."

"Going on a three-week-long patrol and then turning around and coming with me is certainly setting you up to do some sleepwalking, Oreius." Okay, so it wasn't exactly three weeks long but since he had left the same day we got back to the Cair and had only been back an hour before he saw me leaving and just invited himself along for the trip, it's still been three weeks since he had any rest.

He ignored me and we kept walking. We were making good time since he was too tired (even though he refused to admit it) to push me to the brink of my endurance. He finally broke the silence, "Would you have preferred someone else accompanied you?"

I blinked at him, "To my Grandda's house? I...well, I'd never thought about someone else coming with me. I was just thinking I would either go by myself or with you." I mean it wasn't as though I would let just anybody come with me when I went to visit my grandfather's house for the first time. It's private and personal...I had even declined Lucy's request to come with me this first time. I stopped walking. "Let's stop here for the night."

Oreius gave me an unfathomable look (I really don't know why those looks have increased exponentially). "We have another three hours of good daylight we can use, Sepphora."

I rolled my eyes as I caught up with the Kentauri, "Fine, walk into a tree. But you can't say I didn't at least try to keep you from breaking things due to your sleepwalking."

He chuckled, "I am not sleepwalking."

"Yet."

We walked for another three and a half hours since it took an extra half hour to find a nice clearing that wouldn't result in us intruding on people (it was also Oreius' subtle scolding for my trying to stop early). I built the fire while Oreius made sure we weren't going to be ambushed...he glared at me when I pointed out that saying that was inviting Murphy to visit his law upon us.

By the time he finally came back, I had the fire going and was digging through my pack in search of the travel rations. "Did you finish glaring the bushes into submission?"

He yawned, "Your humor is lacking."

"Is not. You're just too tired to appreciate it."

He didn't respond (other than to yawn yet again) as he settled on the ground across the fire from me and I decided to not bug him since I had found my travel rations. Oreius was definitely tired since he kept nodding off while eating (I was watching out of the corner of my eye). I was good though and didn't tease him. So I was actually surprised when he abruptly asked, "What are you looking for, Alambiel?"

I stared at him for a moment (I'd thought he had fallen asleep a little bit ago) then shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I suppose I'm looking for something that will give me a better idea of my parents...my mother specifically." He nodded and I tossed a handful of twigs into the fire before I added, "Tuulea and Stonebrook said Jadis had left my grandfather's house alone, so I guess we'll just see what tomorrow shows us."

"You will find something, even if it takes more than one trip."

I smiled then stood up, grabbing my pack. "I'm going to clean up. I promise to scream bloody murder if I get in trouble."

He snorted, "Knowing you, you wouldn't scream until after you had already seen to the trouble."

I laughed as I walked toward the stream not far from our camp. It just missed being big enough to be called a river. I took my time to take care of necessities and finish cleaning up. Walking back to the clearing, I was only slightly surprised when I saw Oreius was sound asleep. He had to have been even more tired than I'd suspected if he couldn't stay awake long enough to wait for me to come back... I suppressed a laugh and whispered, "Good night, Kentauri." He didn't even twitch.

Not being ready to call it a night yet, I sat catty-corner from him and watched the fire for a while until on an impulse I pulled out my sketchbook and began drawing the Kentauri. It wasn't the first time he'd made it into my drawings but it was the first (and most likely only) time I'd drawn him sleeping. I finished the drawing (at least all but the finishing touches...I'll do those when I have better lighting than firelight that's more embers than fire) and secured it in my pack again, making sure no one could just come across my sketchbook and look through it without permission. I glanced at Oreius just to see if he was still asleep (which he was) before moving to the space across the fire from him. We were in a safe place and I noticed a family of Bats flying by (they tend to alert sleeping travelers to any potential danger) so I didn't see a need to keep watch or wake him. Using my pack as a pillow (bit hard and more than a bit lumpy), I curled up on my side and watched the embers until I fell asleep.

For once nothing attacked us, stole us, or bothered us (until a blue jay managed to throw an acorn so that it smacked Oreius on the nose...I was highly entertained...Oreius not so much). Of course, Oreius still grumbled in the morning about how I should have woken him, I just smiled serenely, "Let sleeping Centaurs lie." He threw me in the stream...

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**A/N: Please Read and Review!**


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